Liberty Casali Scholarship

Honor a pioneer by growing the endowment of the Liberty Casali chemistry scholarship and encourage more undergraduates to become needed innovators.

JMU chemistry professor Liberty Casali came along at a time when almost all science educators and researchers in higher education and industry were men.

Casali helped change the face of science. After a career teaching science in public school and working at General Electric during WWII, she obtained her Ph.D. in chemistry. She went on to teach chemistry and conduct research at several colleges and universities around the nation before joining the Madison faculty. At JMU she specialized in physical chemistry and mentored hundreds of undergraduates. She retired in 1977 and yet remained an active figure as professor emeritus in chemistry.

“Chemistry is a field that should never stand still,” says department head Donna Amenta, “on the chemical level as well as the societal level. Your gift will help empower the enthusiastic and scientific minds at JMU who will graduate and go on to reinvigorate the culture of innovation and discovery in this country and come up with solutions that will make a difference.”

Liberty Casali was an example in her day. More women are leading careers in the sciences because she helped show the way. Help grow the Casali scholarship endowment.

Together, by combining our vision and talents, we can more outstanding chemistry majors the early start that qualifies them ahead of the research curve to enter graduate school, research labs, the teaching profession, the workforce or anywhere else they seek to go to boost America's culture of innovation and discovery.

That’s how the national model of the Engaged University operates. Your gift makes it possible.